What Kings Island Meant Growing Up For Me

[Oldschool75]

As many have noticed, I've not been posting as much on KIC in the last year or so. I've been focusing on combining my passion for amusement parks and photography. 

I'm excited and honored to announce I've joined Shaggy on the Kings Island website as a guest blogger. I've had a love of for the park that stretches back to my first visits in the late 70's.  I hope to share stories reminiscing about the past, sharing the now, and also looking towards the future of the park. 

My first blog was posted yesterday.  Here's is the direct link:

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2017/july/what-kings-island-meant-growing-up-for-me

 

Make sure to bookmark the official KI blog page.

 

[beastfan11]

Looking forward to more! Thanks for posting!!!

[DonHelbig]

11 hours ago, Oldschool75 said:

As many have noticed, I've not been posting as much on KIC in the last year or so. I've been focusing on combining my passion for amusement parks and photography. 

I'm excited and honored to announce I've joined Shaggy on the Kings Island website as a guest blogger. I've had a love of for the park that stretches back to my first visits in the late 70's.  I hope to share stories reminiscing about the past, sharing the now, and also looking towards the future of the park. 

My first blog was posted yesterday.  Here's is the direct link:

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/blog/2017/july/what-kings-island-meant-growing-up-for-me

 

Make sure to bookmark the official KI blog page.

 

Thank you for contributing to the KI Blog! 

[Oldschool75]

Thank you for contributing to the KI Blog! 

Thank you again for the opportunity Don.



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[IndyGuy4KI]

It was a great article, looking forward to reading more.

[KingsMills79]

Hi Brian,

 AWESOME story on the blog.

I also grew up with KI in my back yard (literally) I grew up on Oak St in Kings Mills.

I was wondering of you recall any cross promotions the park had with Chevrolet during The Beast's inaugural year in 1979?

1979 was my graduation year from Kings High School (just next door) and the senior class was asked by Taft Broadcasting to come over and take some of the first rides on The Beast. We got bused over to the park and right up to the front gate as the park wasn't open yet but I vaguely recall a bunch of us getting off the bus and seeing a boat load of brand new black 1979 Chevy Chevettes in the main parking lot with the "Beast" logo painted on the hood. I don't recall how many there were, (maybe 75-100) or why they had these Beast edition Chevettes but I do recall one of my class mates saying that was a poor choice and if they wanted a car to represent the new coaster, it should have been a 1979 Corvette not lowly powered Chevette.

Anyway, from a marketing perspective, my only guess as to why they were there is to make sure the general public knew they were available and then after several weeks of being on display, simply divide them up among the tri-county Chevy dealers to sell. I have desperately tried to do a wildcard search on Google/Google Images with no results. I often wonder if perhaps the Cincy Inquirer has any relevant data in their archives. 

Well, any info or knowledge you have would be a great testament to my memory

 

Thanks for your contribution.

[Oldschool75]

Hi Brian,
 AWESOME story on the blog.
I also grew up with KI in my back yard (literally) I grew up on Oak St in Kings Mills.
I was wondering of you recall any cross promotions the park had with Chevrolet during The Beast's inaugural year in 1979?
1979 was my graduation year from Kings High School (just next door) and the senior class was asked by Taft Broadcasting to come over and take some of the first rides on The Beast. We got bused over to the park and right up to the front gate as the park wasn't open yet but I vaguely recall a bunch of us getting off the bus and seeing a boat load of brand new black 1979 Chevy Chevettes in the main parking lot with the "Beast" logo painted on the hood. I don't recall how many there were, (maybe 75-100) or why they had these Beast edition Chevettes but I do recall one of my class mates saying that was a poor choice and if they wanted a car to represent the new coaster, it should have been a 1979 Corvette not lowly powered Chevette.
Anyway, from a marketing perspective, my only guess as to why they were there is to make sure the general public knew they were available and then after several weeks of being on display, simply divide them up among the tri-county Chevy dealers to sell. I have desperately tried to do a wildcard search on Google/Google Images with no results. I often wonder if perhaps the Cincy Inquirer has any relevant data in their archives. 
Well, any info or knowledge you have would be a great testament to my memory:lol:
 
Thanks for your contribution.

Thanks KingsMill79. I vaguely remember a promotion with cars. I was 4 in '79. I think Shaggy or Don may have a better recollection of the promotion. The earliest promotion I can specifically remember would be the Q102 Mello Yello t-shirts that were given away at the park in the early 80's.


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[KIfan73]

@KingsMills79 Of all the many Kings Island stories I have heard, that has to be one of the best!  Going to school next door (can't imagine!) to Kings Island?  Being bused right to the front gate?  Beast themed Corvettes??  Awesome story, thanks for sharing!!

[KingsMills79]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Glad to contribute. I am going to keep digging until I find a better lead on this story and hopefully share the results.

KIfan73...I remember sitting in shop class about a week before school was out in June and looking out the window watching The Racer trains climbing the lift hill over and over thinking "man, I need to be there and not here" Most of the trees and foliage the park planted in 1972 were still maturing so in '77 and '78 you could actually see most (if not all) of the taller rides operating. Thats definitely not the case today because one can't even see The Beast from the main parking lot due to the tall trees.

If you Google "Kings High School" on maps/satellite, you will see the park is just down the street from my high school on Columbia Road which is the exact road they used to bus us to the park.

During the summer, some of the locals would use the high school parking lot to come and see the Firestone International air show at 6:00pm and then return at 10:00pm for the nightly fireworks. It was absolutely a magical time growing up next door and I would not trade that childhood experience for ANYTHING.

[KingsMills79]

****Update****

 

I finally found something referencing the '79 Beast Chevy Chevettes from Newspapers.com.....(No pics of the actual car however)

Hopefully, KIghostguy will find this useful for the book.

 

Source:  https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28065631/beast-chevette/

[CorkscrewMcPuke]

2 hours ago, KingsMills79 said:

****Update****

 

I finally found something referencing the '79 Beast Chevy Chevettes from Newspapers.com.....(No pics of the actual car however)

Hopefully, KIghostguy will find this useful for the book.

 

Source:  https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28065631/beast-chevette/

Out of all of the cars GM made during late 70s, a Chevette?

[KIguy2004]

Here is a Chevette: 

[CorkscrewMcPuke]

Just now, KIguy2004 said:

Here is a Chevette: 

I know what a Chevette is. It's just a perplexing model to associate with The Beast.

[KIguy2004]

Do you know what The Beast Chevette looked like?

[Joshua]

Was it a Chevette themed with The Beast logo?

[KingsMills79]

Basically it was this car in black with a tan interior and it had a full color original "Beast" logo applied (or painted) on the hood.

It was pretty much like what you would see on the late 70's and early 80's Firebird Trans Am's with the firebreathing chicken on the hood. Other than that, these cars had NOTHING in common  except they were both GM products.

I'm sure someone (to this day) is kicking themselves in the rear for not using a 1979 Camaro Z28 or Corvette for those Beast cars. They would  have been much more collectible.